Is There Anything More
Important than Protecting Your Family?
Be certain you have the right life insurance coverage. Get the
information you need to find the right policy for your family's
protection at the Pilot Insurance Center. Call PIC at (800)
380-8376 or
visit PICLife.com.

AIR
FRANCE 447 DATA RECORDER FOUNDWednesday, a remote-controlled
submarine was used some 600 miles off the coast of Brazil, nearly 13,000
feet down in the Atlantic, to spot the chassis of Air France Flight
447's flight data recorder, with the data module missing -- that module
was found, Sunday. The finding has led to hopes that investigators may
be able to recover key new data regarding the June 1, 2009 crash that
killed all 228 aboard. The recorders onboard the Airbus A330 in this
case were manufactured by Honeywell International and store hundreds of
parameters, and the company says they were designed to withstand 1,500
G's and depths of 20,000 feet -- for 30 days. BEA (Bureau of Enquiry and
Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety) officials had previously said that
if the cylindrical data module could be found, there is still a good
chance it will contain retrievable data. More...

More Versatile than a Swiss
Knife
For more than 25 years, operators have relied on the Caravan
models to meet the most demanding mission parameters. To which the
Caravan replies, "Bring it on." Its confidence is backed by a
remarkable dispatch reliability rate of over 99 percent and exceptional
payload capabilities from its 675-horsepower engine. And when you
consider the versatility, configurability, and sheer ruggedness of the
Caravan line, the applications are virtually limitless.

FAA
REVIEWING CONTROLLER TRAININGFAA Administrator Randy Babbitt
has announced his response to the seeming crisis of confidence in the
air traffic control system with a shuffle of responsibilities on the top
floor of the FAA building. But while it is the sleeping-on-the-job the
issue that has made headlines and provided endless material for
late-night talk show writers in the past few weeks, the FAA's other
announcement addressed a different issue. The agency has formed a panel
of independent experts to examine controller training, noting that about
a third of the current controller workforce has been hired in the last
five years. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association appears, as
it has been throughout the last month of controversy, to be in agreement
with the changes and to take responsibility for some of the recent
gaffes. It is also linking them to training, even though the most
notorious sleep- and judgment-related incidents have involved veteran
controllers and supervisors. "With any occupation, there are those that
don't do the job or act in a way that is appropriate," NATCA's Executive
Vice President Trish Gilbert told an online discussion forum of the Washington
Post. "The workforce is stretched to its limits with 1/3 of the
workforce now having less than 5 years in the FAA (with 2-3 years to
certify as a fully certified controller) and many still in training. We
believe that the FAA has just started to take the right steps in better
screening and training of the ATC candidates." More...

Introducing: Our Best Pilot
Headset EverNEW Bose A20 Aviation Headset
Bose was the first to introduce active noise reducing headsets to
aviation more than 20 years ago, forever changing the way pilots fly.
Now the Bose A20 Aviation Headset sets an entirely new standard,
providing significantly greater noise reduction than currently
available. It also features an improved level of comfort, clear audio,
Bluetooth® connectivity, auxiliary
audio input and priority switching.
Learn more.

SULLY
TO CONGRESS: BE CAREFUL WITH FAA CUTSRetired captain Chesley
Sullenberger warned in an interview published Thursday by the
DailyBeast.com that cuts to FAA funding may have an impact on safety and
that the government should be forthcoming about potential consequences.
According to Sullenberger, cuts could translate to reductions in
staffing at regulatory agencies and represent a decision to accept
something less than the highest standards. He said such cuts would lead
to an increased risk that someone will come to harm who otherwise would
not have. Sullenberger stated that the industry has made a promise to
passengers that it will do the best it can, even when that is not easy,
expedient, or inexpensive. He also raised concerns about pilot fatigue
regulation. More...

DIAMOND
APPEALS FOR LOAN SUPPORTThe president of Diamond Aircraft
has issued a public
appeal (PDF) for support for his company's bid for a $35 million
loan from the government of Canada. In an Op/Ed piece in the London
(Ontario) Free Press, Peter Maurer says the company's survival may
depend on the politically mired loan request. "The protracted federal
government decision process puts the entire London operation at risk,"
Maurer said in a lengthy explanation of the company's apparently
precarious situation. Maurer said the company asked for the loan (he
stresses that it is fully repayable) as a last resort when private
funding fell through due to the recession. He also stressed that $35
million in private funding has already been committed as has a $20
million loan from the provincial government of Ontario but both are
contingent on the federal government contribution. The loan application
was made last fall but no decision has been made and a federal election
being held Monday has complicated the public debate on the issue.
Federal officials have said a decision will be made on the request
sometime after the election but won't set a time. Finances aside, the
delay is having a potentially far more devastating effect on the
company. More...

Meet the New Reletex
Anti-Motion Sickness Device!
It's finally here  Reletex, the new version of the
highly-touted ReliefBand that is so effective for nausea and vomiting
due to motion sickness. Worn on the wrist, the Reletex produces a
small neuromodulating current which stops peristaltic waves in the
stomach, ceasing nausea and vomiting without drugs or side effects.
Reletex is available in 60- and 150-hour versions. O.K. for
pilots and great for aerobatic flight.
Reletex  exclusively at
AeroMedix.com.

TU-154
OUT OF CONTROL (WITH VIDEO)It's not really
clear what happened on board a Russian military Tu-154 at a Moscow-area
airport but there's a flight crew that's undoubtedly happy to be on the
ground after an odd loss-of-control incident last week. The accompanying
video, shot by a planespotter, according to Russia Today, shows the aircraft clearly struggling
to maintain some semblance of controlled flight. The crew did finally
prevail as the plane eventually landed safely. More...

HE
BUILT A 737 COCKPIT IN HIS HOUSE? (WITH VIDEO)When Salvador
Alvarez Patuel's beloved wife asked him to cut down on real-world
flying, he accommodated her ... and built a substantially accurate
Boeing 737 flight deck/simulator in his house. To be clear, what Patuel
built may be just as impressive as a functioning mock-up of a Boeing 737
cockpit as it is a flight simulator. Patuel is a principal application
development manager for Microsoft and has held a private pilot
certificate for 15 years. His passion for flying has led to many hours
in real Boeing 737 simulators, apart from the one he built at home. That
one runs on Microsoft FSX software. But if FSX conjures in your mind
images of a keyboard, joystick and computer screen, you're missing the
point altogether. Video and more details after the jump.
More...

Aviation Training Workshop
About Effective and Efficient Security Measures to Be Held in the
UAE
This Aviation Training Workshop (ATW) is organized by
Aeropodium in association with Spranza Inc. at Skyline University
College in Sharjah, UAE. The program focuses on the duties and
cooperative role each individual plays in maintaining effective and
efficient airside and landside proactive security measures. This
workshop provides all the essentials needed to institute an on-site
security awareness program, maintain compulsory documentation, and
involve stakeholders in a unique learning experience.
Click here to learn more and
register.

SOLAR
IMPULSE TO FLY TO PARIS AIR SHOWThe prototype manned
solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse, is being prepared in Switzerland for
a first international trip that could begin as early as May 2, with a
leg to Brussels, followed by a trip to the Paris Air Show. The aircraft
has been designed to demonstrate solar technology by flying continuously
day and night on solar power and solar energy stored in its batteries.
Solar Impulse's first flight took place in 2009. It has since undergone
various system and flight tests and been flown through a continuous
26-hour-plus period without using fuel. The planned first leg of the
coming flight will take the aircraft to Brussels by May 23, where it
will be displayed from May 23 to May 29. The arrival coincides with
"Green Week," which is "the largest annual conference on European
environmental policy," according to the Solar Impulse team. The aircraft
will then continue on to Paris-Le Bourget for a stay at the Paris Air
Show, June 20-26. Challenges faced by the team won't be found solely in
the air. More...

RUSTY
RESCUED AFTER CRASHAgainst incredible odds, the survivor of
a plane crash in an avalanche-prone area of British Columbia's Rocky
Mountains was found unharmed Friday and rescuers were rewarded with a
wag of his tail. Rusty, a border collie that was on board a Cessna 180
that went down in Yoho National Park near Golden, B.C. last Wednesday,
was found near the crash site. His owner, the unidentified pilot, died
in the crash. When search crews found the wreckage on an avalanche
spillway on a steep slope, they found the pilot's body inside and dog
tracks leading into the forest. More...

BRAINTEASERS
QUIZ #159: SEPARATION ANXIETYEveryone knows that air
traffic controllers keep aircraft from bumping into each other, but just
how much separation does ATC provide? That's not an essay question.
Instead, separate fact from misconceptions about ATC service in this
quiz.

AviationExpo
Europe
... is the dedicated European General Aviation exhibition in
2011, showcasing everything from ultralights through to business jets.
Join Europe's leading exhibitors as they showcase the latest in General
Aviation at Bitburg Airport.

Fly More for Less
Visit the AVbuys page for discounts, rebates, incentives, bargains, special offers, bonus depreciation, or tax benefits to help stretch your budget. We're helping you to locate and view current offers instantly, with a direct link to sponsors' web sites for details.

PODCAST:
NORAD INSPECTOR GENERAL PILOT LT. COL. GREG MILLERIf you're
flying along and suddenly an F-16 appears off your left wing, Lt.
Col. Greg Miller has some advice for how to best respond  and
also how to avoid getting into that situation in the first place. He
also talks to AVweb's Mary Grady about the recent intercept of a
Cirrus by a 737 and why that was a bad idea.

Traditional Tactics Need a
Fresh Approach
Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition
of insanity. Isn't it time to initiate a digital marketing program with
AVweb that will deliver traffic and orders directly to
your web site? Discover several new and highly successful marketing
options to use in lieu of static print or banner campaigns.
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AVweb reader
Karen Austermiller found herself seeking shelter from the rash of
spring storms at Cape just a few days ago:

Last week, between waves of the severe
springtime storm pattern, we were on a ferry flight between Phoenix and
Pontiac, MI and looking for a place to set down for the night. Having
recently passed over a frontal line of developing puffies, we had hangar
space at the top of the priority list. Checking the possibilities, it
looked like Cape Girardeau might work, even though we both said we
probably can't even pronounce it on the radio. (Dang Westerners!)
Nevertheless, we stopped in, almost at closing time, and the remaining
manager on duty scurried to find hangar space and move some stuff around
to get the Cirrus tucked away for the night. Then he set us up with the
courtesy car and got a hotel on the line (with a discount), and we were
off for a wild evening of local bad weather observation. From the safety
of a great 100-year-old building, housing a local fine restaurant called
Molly's, we were fascinated by the sophisticated severe weather
reporting that played out on TV all evening. Not at all like the tornado
horn, run-for-the-basement-and-send-your-brother-out-in-an-hour-to-check
stuff that we both recalled. This system is amazing, and it was a pretty
interesting evening amongst a lot of really nice people. Cape Girardeau
seems like a fine spot in nice weather, but they sure know how to handle
the bad stuff in a way that makes visitors feel pretty darn
safe!

I was inbound to Homestead AFB a long time ago in
a Navy P-3 . As we were vectored over the Bahamas and into the Miami
area, I proceeded to give my best "PA," pointing out the sights to the
crew. As I wound down, we heard this from Miami
approach:

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